A WOMAN who attacked a policeman while being arrested for fighting in the streets has escaped jail after admitting she had been binge-drinking since she was just EIGHT years old.

Hayley Jones, now 34, of Brierfield, Lancashire, was given eight weeks in custody, suspended for a year, to run consecutively to a previous suspended sentence of 44 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, after blaming her drinking habit.

She admitted being drunk and disorderly, assault on police and breaching a suspended term at Burnley Crown Court.

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Paulos Iasonides was BITTEN by Hayley Jones

In April last year, she used her teeth as a weapon to maul a terrified chip shop boss in a "wolf-like" attack as she complained about his food.

But although she was let off with a suspended sentence, she got drunk again and launched a vicious attack on a policeman who arrested for brawling in the street with another woman.

During the incident Jones yelled: "Why me? You should be taking her, you bitch," referring to the other woman as she was being spoken to by an officer.

She then repeatedly kicked PC Gavin Entwistle as he tried to shut her inside a police van.

Last December, Jones was in court over the attack on chip shop owner Paulos Iasonides.

She was said to be so angry about her portion of potato scallops she lunged at Mr Iasonides, clamped her teeth around his arm - and then clung on for around 40 seconds while he tried to shake her off.

During the violent struggle, Jones used her nails to scratch behind 67-year old Mr Iasonides' ear and draw blood and also kicked him.

She also tried to force her way behind the counter towards the till but he managed to block her - fearing she might get a knife to stab him.

The victim's wife Hariklitsa, 59, who was running a hairdressers upstairs, heard screaming and shouting and came downstairs to help her husband restrain Jones and eject her from the shop.

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Hayley Jones

In August, Jones was out with friends when she got into a fight with another group of people.

Prosecution counsel Lisa Worsley said Jones, who was in a rage, was arrested but began to struggle and was handcuffed and put in the back of a van.

She lashed out with her feet, striking the officer on the chest and thigh.

She blocked the cage door with her feet, lay on her back with her feet in the air and kicked the officer again, inside the cage.

Jones was eventually stopped from striking out and the officer was eventually able to close the van door.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Laura Barbour said: "She began drinking alcohol when she was eight. Drink is something that's been a feature not only in her her adult life - but the majority of her life."

She said Jones had tried very hard to fight her addiction, adding: "She hasn't been entirely successful, but she is making progress."

Passing sentence the judge Mr Recorder Roger Farley, QC, said he fully accepted Jones had has a chaotic and troubling background.